Ichigo's Pain
by kisshuismylife
Summary: It's been three years since the Cyniclons left, and Ichigo's really hurting. Lettuce takes matters into her own hands by calling Pai to get Kisshu, but will they be in time to save Ichigo? Read and find out!


**Ichigo's Pain**

It had been three years since the final battle with Deep Blue, and the Cyniclons hadn't come back. Mint, Zakuro, Ryou, and Keiichiro didn't mind, but Lettuce, Pudding, and Ichigo minded quite a bit. Lettuce and Pudding were holding it together, but as one year ran into the next, Ichigo started to wither away. She barely ate, she cried all the time, and she refused to talk to anyone. Her mother had started homeschooling her after the teachers at her school got fed up with Ichigo refusing to speak in class.

Pudding wasn't as affected by this, as she was still busy raising her five siblings, but Lettuce and Ichigo's school friends, Moe and Miwa, were getting really worried. Currently the three girls were having a meeting in Lettuce's room.

"We have to do something," Moe said. "Ichigo's going to kill herself if this keeps up. Ever since she decided she loves Kisshu and broke up with Aoyama, she's been waiting for him to come back. It's obviously killing her that he hasn't."

"He probably thinks she still hates him," Miwa said. "Either that or he thinks she's dead. Otherwise, I think he'd be back here, and Ichigo would be happy again."

"We need to contact him," Lettuce said. "You're right, Ichigo's going to kill herself if we wait any longer. Let's go to the Café, and I'll use the computers while you keep Ryou and Keiichiro busy."

"Let's do it," Moe and Miwa said together.

Lettuce smiled, and the girls got up and headed down to Café Mew Mew.

When they reached the Café, it was locked up. Lettuce took out a key, and unlocked the doors. Then she, Moe, and Miwa went in. The front room was deserted, and the kitchen light was off. "They're probably in the basement," Lettuce said. "I don't have a key, though."

"So we kick the door down," Moe said casually.

"That works," Lettuce said. She led the way to the basement, and tried the doorknob to the lab. "Locked," she said.

Moe and Miwa smirked, and Lettuce moved back as they kicked the door down. Ryou and Keiichiro were both in the lab, but it appeared that they had been fighting. Keiichiro sighed. "This has something to do with Ichigo, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Lettuce said. "Are you willing to help?"

"I am, but Ryou refuses to," Keiichiro said, glaring at Ryou.

"Moe, Miwa, have at it," Lettuce said.

Moe and Miwa grinned, and Ryou started to back up, but too late. Moe and Miwa grabbed him and dragged him off. Lettuce smiled and said, "They'll make sure he doesn't interfere."

Keiichiro sighed, resigned, and turned to one of the computers. He typed a number into it, and the large screen flickered a bit. Finally it cleared to show the inside of what looked like a lab. Pai was sitting in a chair, and Lettuce caught her breath as he looked up, startled. "Lettuce?" he asked softly.

"Hi Pai," Lettuce said.

"Is something wrong?" Pai asked. "You look grim."

"We need Kisshu to come back," Lettuce said.

"Why?" Pai asked, a bit warily.

"Ichigo will commit suicide if he doesn't get here soon," Lettuce said.

"She loves him?" Pai asked.

"She dumped Aoyama two days after you left," Lettuce said. "And since then she's just withered away. When anyone asks her what's wrong, all she says is, "He's not back yet." It's getting bad. We need Kisshu to come back as soon as possible."

Before Pai could respond, Moe ran into the room and said, "Lettuce, I got a call saying Ichigo stabbed herself!"

"Is she still alive?" Lettuce asked, scared.

"Yeah, but they're not sure for how much longer," Moe said.

"I'll get Kisshu and we can be there in three hours," Pai said. "Try to keep her alive." He cut the connection, and Lettuce and Moe looked at each other.

"Keiichiro, we need to get to the hospital," Lettuce said.

"Let's go get in my car," Keiichiro said, and ran for the stairs, followed by Moe and Lettuce. Miwa was waiting for them upstairs, and she had tied Ryou up, even though he was unconscious and pretty beat up. She followed them as they ran to Keiichiro's car.

The girls jumped into the car as Keiichiro started it up, and Keiichiro drove to the hospital near Ichigo's neighborhood.

Almost as soon as Keiichiro parked, the girls were out of the car and running for the front doors. They threw them open, causing the whole lobby to look up, startled. Lettuce ran to the front desk and said urgently, "Where's Momomiya Ichigo?"

The woman looked at her computer and said, "She was just admitted to the ER."

"Thanks," Lettuce said, and she, Moe and Miwa ran off. They skidded to a stop in front of the waiting room, saw Ichigo's parents, and ran in. Sakura and Shintaro looked up, startled, and Lettuce said, "I contacted Pai. He and Kisshu will be here in three hours; we need to keep Ichigo alive until they get here."

"They're trying," Sakura said, pointing to the doctors.

Suddenly the door opened, and a woman came out of the room. "The knife she used didn't actually reach her heart, but she lost a lot of blood," she said. "A blood transfusion might help, but even that won't work for long."

"How long?" Lettuce asked.

"Two days at most," the woman said.

"I called someone who might be able to save her; we need to keep her alive for the next three hours," Lettuce said.

"I think that's doable, but who did you call?" the woman asked.

"You'll see when he gets here," Lettuce said. "Go tell whoever else needs to know that you need to keep Ichigo alive for the next three hours."

"H-hai," the woman said, and ran back into the other room.

"I hope this works," Moe said.

_**Three hours later: **_Lettuce was pacing the floor, and Moe, Miwa, Sakura, and Shintaro were watching her. Finally, though, they heard teleportation. Pai, Kisshu, and Taruto appeared, and Pai said, "I brought Kisshu and Taruto in case I need more power. Where's Ichigo?"

"In there, let me tell them," Lettuce said. She went to the door and knocked. The same woman came out, and looked wary when she saw Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto. "Friends of yours?" she asked Lettuce.

"Hai," Lettuce said.

Pai came over and said, "I'm a healer. Lettuce said Ichigo tried to commit suicide, can you tell me how she's doing? I might be able to help."

The woman still looked unsure, but said, "She didn't manage to reach her heart, but she lost a lot of blood. As far as I can tell, it's just the stab wound and the blood loss, but a blood transfusion won't keep her alive for more than two days."

"I'll see what I can do," Pai said. "Kisshu, Taruto, wait here until I call, got it? And Kisshu, stay focused at least until I'm done."

"Hai," Kisshu and Taruto said.

Pai nodded, and the woman let him in, then closed the door again. Lettuce sank down in a chair, but Kisshu and Taruto remained standing.

Twenty minutes later, the woman came out and said to Kisshu and Taruto, "You two are apparently needed in here."

Kisshu and Taruto immediately went in, closing the door behind them.

Forty-five more minutes went by, and the door finally opened. The woman came out carrying Taruto, who was sound asleep, and Kisshu came out supporting Pai, who looked exhausted. "Ichigo will be fine with some rest," Pai said. "She should regain consciousness by tomorrow afternoon, but she's in no condition to get up, and it's going to be a few days at least before she'll be back to full strength. I'll be back to full strength by tomorrow afternoon, but I need to rest before that."

"You three can stay with us," Sakura said.

"Kisshu's staying here with Ichigo in case something comes up," Pai said.

"Alright," Sakura said. She looked at the woman carrying Taruto, and said, "I can take him."

"Thanks," the woman said. She gently put Taruto in Sakura's arms. He didn't even stir as the woman turned to Pai and said, "Thank you for saving Ichigo. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Sure…" Pai said tiredly.

Shintaro came over and helped Pai walk out. "We'll be back tomorrow," Sakura said.

"Alright," Kisshu said quietly.

Sakura left, and Lettuce said, "We should let Keiichiro know everything's going to be okay. Kisshu, will you be okay here?"

"I'll be fine," Kisshu said.

"If you kill yourself, we'll be coming to the afterlife to drag you back by your ears," Moe said as she and Miwa left.

Kisshu shuddered, and Lettuce giggled as she followed Moe and Miwa out. The woman looked at him and said, "We're moving Ichigo to a different room, so come with me."

Kisshu nodded, and stood back as two nurses rolled Ichigo out on a stretcher. He followed them to a room down the hall, and followed them in. The nurses put Ichigo on the bed in the room, and pulled a blanket over her as Kisshu sat down in a chair next to the bed. The two nurses left as the woman asked Kisshu, "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine," Kisshu said.

"No offense, but you look far from 'fine'," the woman said dryly.

"This is all my fault," Kisshu muttered. "If I had come back sooner, Ichigo wouldn't be like this."

"You came back in time to save her, and that's what matters here," the woman said. "Try not to get depressed; you'll only make her depressed, and that won't be good for her."

"I'll try…." Kisshu said.

"I'll leave you alone," the woman said. "The bathroom is through that door."

"Thanks," Kisshu said. The woman smiled and left. Kisshu settled down to watch Ichigo.

Five hours later, he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, but tried to stay awake. Finally, however, he fell asleep in the chair, his upper body resting on the bed while the rest of him was still in the chair.

_**Late the next morning: **_Ichigo was starting to wake up. Disoriented, she opened her eyes, and saw all white. _Great…. it smells like disinfectant in here, which probably means I'm in a hospital, and that means I'm still alive, _she thought gloomily. Suddenly she realized she could hear someone else breathing next to her, and turned her head.

Her jaw dropped when she saw Kisshu fast asleep. _Kish is here? _she wondered. Ichigo slowly reached out, smoothing Kisshu's hair back. He looked very peaceful. Ichigo stroked his hair, not noticing he was starting to stir.

Kisshu opened his eyes sleepily, feeling someone playing with his hair. It took him a minute to remember where he was, but when he did, his eyes snapped open, and he looked over at Ichigo. She looked startled too, and asked softly, "Kish?"

"I'm here," Kisshu said. "Sorry I fell asleep."

"You're really here?" Ichigo asked softly. "Or am I dreaming again?"

"I'm really here, I promise," Kisshu said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling kind of weak," Ichigo said. "What happened?"

"Pai told me you tried to kill yourself, and we came to Earth as soon as we could," Kisshu said. "We also fried the ship's engine, but at least we got here in time for Pai to heal you."

"How did Pai know?" Ichigo asked, puzzled.

"Lettuce apparently called him, and while they were talking, your friend Moe came in and told them that you were in the hospital after attempting to kill yourself," Kisshu said. "Pai went and got me and Taruto, and we made it to Earth in three hours."

"Taruto's here too?" Ichigo asked.

"Pai brought him in case my power wasn't enough for a transfer, and it's a good thing, because he used all of his power, all of Taruto's power, and most of mine to heal you to this point," Kisshu said. "He didn't take all of mine because I wanted to be here for you. Unfortunately, I still fell asleep."

"It's fine," Ichigo said, smiling. "You look cute sleeping."

Kisshu smirked. They heard a knock on the door, and Kisshu called, "Come in!"

The door opened, and Sakura, Shintaro, Pai, and Lettuce all came in. "Ichigo, you're awake?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo said.

"How are you feeling?" Shintaro asked.__

"I'm happier," Ichigo said.

"That means you won't try this again, right?" Sakura asked.

"Right," Ichigo said. "As long as Kish stays, that is."

"I'm never going to leave again," Kisshu said.

"Like you've got a choice," Pai said. "The spaceship is dead. I guess we'll all be spending our lives on Earth now."

"Yay!" Ichigo said.

"Where's Taruto?" Kisshu asked.

"In a forcefield with Pudding; they ate too much candy," Pai said. "I told him he gets to live with Pudding, since she's the only one who can handle his sugar highs."

"That will make Pudding happy," Ichigo said. "So Pai, did you make Lettuce happy yet?"

"Yes, we're together," Lettuce said, smiling. "I take it you and Kisshu are as well?"

"We didn't talk about that, but I assume so," Ichigo said, looking at Kisshu.

"Yep, we're together," Kisshu said. "When do humans get married?"

"The legal age is eighteen," Sakura said. "That's two years for Ichigo."

"Lots of time to plan," Ichigo said, looking at Kisshu, who appeared to be sulking.

"Mmph," Kisshu said.

Pai sighed and said, "You'll live." He came over, and put a hand on Ichigo's chest, then said, "You shouldn't get up for at least two days, but you should be able to sit up by tomorrow."

"Do I have to stay here?" Ichigo asked.

"I'll go ask," Pai said. He left, and Sakura and Shintaro came over.

"Ichigo, please don't scare us like that again," Sakura said.

"I won't," Ichigo said.

"We brought you some pajamas," Shintaro said. "Your mom can help you change if you want; Lettuce and I will be keeping an eye on Kisshu- outside."

"Thanks," Ichigo said. Kisshu sighed and got up, then followed Lettuce out of the room, and Shintaro followed them, then closed the door. Sakura helped Ichigo get into her pink pajamas, and then lie back down. They heard a knock on the door, and Ichigo called, "Come in!"

Pai and the woman from the day before came in, and came over. "I'm Dr. Anko," the woman said. "Pai says you want to go home, but I have to do a final check-up on you. I agree that it's better after what you've been through that you recover somewhere that's comforting for you, but we do have protocol to follow."

"Okay," Ichigo said.

Dr. Anko nodded and listened to her heart, then said, "Take a deep breath." Ichigo obeyed, and let it out. She did it again, and Dr. Anko said, "That's good. I think you just need to rest up, and I'm sure Pai can handle any more treatment that you need."

"Yup," Pai said. "Ichigo, I told Kisshu to teleport you home, since he can't handle cars too well. Teleporting you won't hurt you."

"Okay," Ichigo said.

"We'll handle signing you out, so I'll go get Kisshu," Dr. Anko said.

"I already called him," Pai said as Kisshu opened the door. He came over and picked Ichigo up, then said, "See you guys at home."

"Okay," Sakura said. "See you soon."

"Bye," Ichigo said. Kisshu teleported her to her room, and set her down on the bed, then tucked her in and sat down with her.

"You should get some rest," Kisshu told Ichigo.

"You'll be here?" Ichigo asked sleepily.

"I'll be here forever," Kisshu said softly. "I'll never leave you again, Koneko-chan."

"Thanks," Ichigo said softly. "I love you, Kish."

"I love you too, Koneko-chan," Kisshu said, stroking Ichigo's hair gently. He was surprised when she started purring softly as she fell asleep, but kept stroking her hair gently, smiling.

**Another one…. I hope you like it! Review plz!**


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